St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-05-08
JOSEPH RANZINGER,
CARPET WEAVER,

Through the narrow window near the
door Joseph can be seen sitting through
out the day and far into the night before
bulky combination of beams, cross
bars and bolts, and during all these
hours the dull, heavy thud! thud! thud |!
backward and forward beating into a
solid mass the wOop of rags that the
weaver throws too and fro, through the
warp, can be heard.
Up these crazy steps GLOBE re-
porter made his way yesterday, and into
the presence of the weaver, who ceased
swinging the lathe for few moments
to explain the mysteries of his trade.
The explanation was given in broken
English, for Joseph, although he has
been in this country for more than ten
years, has paid too close attention to his
profession of carpet weaving to master
the peculiaritieS of our language.
The loom looked more like machine
of torture that had been sent down from
the reign of Nero than it did harmless
contrivance for the beating together of
rags. 1t was heavy square affair and
on the back side, in brackets, hung the
warp beam, which was a huge SpOOl on
which was wound the threads that
formed the warp. Each one of these
threads was taken up and put through a
harness eye. There are two harnesses,
which are oblong square frames, with
cords strung across them like the strings
of harp, and in the center of each cord
is loop which is called harness eye.
These harnesses are suspended closely
together from beam Oh the top of the
loom and are
WORKED UP AND DOWN
by means of the treadles which moved
by the feet OF the weaver. After being
threaded through the harness eyes the
warp is put through a reed, which is a
long narrow frame in which small bars
OF whalebOne are set about an eighth of
an inch apart. This reed is set securely
IN the latheS, heavy frame that swings
backward and forward in front of the
weaver and which beats the rags to-
gether. AS the lathe is swung to and
fro by the weaver these reeds keep the
ing the treadleS, one harness goes up
the other down which crosses the
threads of the warp, and pushing back
the lathe he throws between the
warp across the loom, the shut
tie on which the rags are wound.
and pulling the lathe towards
him beats the rags into place, then re-
versing the harnesses he throws the
shuttle back and works the lathe as be-
fore, and i'll this way the carpet groNs
and becomes thing of beauty and a JOY
for-at least two years.
Joe said he had never been so busy as
he was now. Rag carpets are getting to
be a craze, and the most fashionable
families of St. Anthony hill are cover
lug the floors of their parlors with rugs
woven from brightly eolored rags, and
this craze helps out the income of Joseph
Ranzinger quite materially. In one cor
ner of the room in which stood the loom
was pile of very pretty rugs just from
the we Ver's loom, and to them were
pinned tags on which we're written the
names of some of st. Paul'S best fam
lilies.
Joe said he had orders enough ahead
to keep him busy, working eighteen
hours "a day, until next fall. He can
make from 81 to $3.50 day, and is quite
contented with this income. A pleasant
family of children is growing up around
him, and he seems to enjoy all the COM
forts and happiness enjoyed by his
weather. and most stylish fellowmen.